Naked Mole Rat

naked mole rat, (Heterocephalus glaber), burrowing member of the rodent family Bathyergidae, named for its wrinkled pinkish skin and hairless bodily appearance. Their broad heads contain strong, muscular jaws that support four incisor teeth that are used for digging. They are renowned for their long life spans, low cancer rates, and colonial habit. Contrary to what their name suggests, naked mole rats have about 100 fine hairs on their skin that function like whiskers to help them feel their surroundings.

Naked mole rats can be found underground in the grassy and semiarid regions of East Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti. They inhabit subterranean burrows formed by an extensive network of tunnels that may range up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) deep and 4 km (2.5 miles) long. They create these tunnels, approximately 4 cm (1.5 inches) in diameter, by gnawing away dirt with their large teeth and sweeping it up to the surface in an assembly-line fashion. The tunnels connect chambers used for nesting, nursing, food storage, and other functions.